


The Injured Bird Job

by Aaymeirah



Category: Leverage
Genre: BASE Jumping, Con Artists, Female Friendship, Gen, Hiking, Illegal Activities, Injury, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Vacations gone wrong, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22276207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaymeirah/pseuds/Aaymeirah
Summary: While on a vacation together, Parker convinces Sophie to go on a slightly illegal BASE jump with her. Injury, hiking and grifting ensues.
Relationships: Sophie Devereaux & Parker (Leverage)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	The Injured Bird Job

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sapphire2309](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire2309/gifts).



“Relax Sophie, you’re prepared for this. There is only a 0.04316547% chance of you dying. I’ll show you.” Of course, Parker knew life expectancy statistics, Sophie thought. Before she could say anything else, Parker jumped off the cliff. 

“Wooooooooh!” Sophie leaned over the side of the cliff and worriedly watched Parker scream in exhilaration as she plummeted over the side of the cliff. The small parachute opened and Sophie breathed a sigh of relief when Parker slowed down and landed on the grass, alive and unharmed. Parker raised her hands in what Sophie thought was a come-hither gesture. There was nothing for it, Sophie checked her gear one last time and moved to stand on the cliff edge. She was sure she had done more risky things in her life, but for the life of her, she couldn’t think of one.

“Now or never.”  


Sophie jumped off the cliff and began counting the seconds.  
The wind whipped her hair out of its bun and brought tears to her eyes- now! She pulled the chord of her parachute and felt the sudden updraft of air deep in her abdomen. Why would anyone think this was exhilarating? With a thud, she hit the ground and collapsed. 

“I told you to bend your knees!” Parker said as she got down and shook Sophie’s shoulder. 

“I think my ankle is twisted,” groaned Sophie.

“Huh, you’re the first person to have gotten hurt while BASE jumping with me,” said Parker as she gently placed her hand on Sophie’s left ankle. 

“Not that one- the other one.” 

“Okay.” A sharp stab of pain traveled up her leg when she felt Parker move it from side to side. 

“I don’t think it’s broken, but you’ve definitely twisted it- the tight boot should work as a splint until we reach the car.”

“Great.” Now she had to worry not only about a hike with a twisted ankle, but Parker driving at the end of it. 

“I’ll help you up,” said Parker, and before Sophie could say anything, Parker hoisted her to her feet and slung her arm over her shoulder. Sophie had to admit, she was surprised at how easily Parker supported her as she hobbled along the path. As if reading her thoughts, Parker looked at her with assessing eyes and said;  


“I had to carry Hardison like this all the time after the first few times we jumped off of buildings during our tour because he was so shaken. You’re nothing in weight compared to him.”

“Gee, thanks Parker,” Sophie said through gritted teeth. In the short periods she had to place her injured foot on the ground, spikes of angry pain jolted through her body. 

“You’re welcome.” Parker patted Sophie’s hand that hung limply from the arm slung over Parker’s shoulders. 

Somewhere along the trek they lost the parachutes and Sophie unzipped her wingsuit to her waist- the day was too hot. Through it all, Parker showed no signs of discomfort or being affected by the fact that she was practically carrying Sophie through rough terrain. Sophie had to admit, a part of her had sometimes found Parker’s usual detachment in times of crisis, and almost always during a job, concerning. Perhaps it was the sheer contrast between the two of them, Parker detached herself from the situation while Sophie immersed herself in it. She had to live the emotions to convincingly grift. As another stabbing pain shot up her leg she grimaced and decided that maybe a little bit of situational detachment could be useful right now. 

“Hang in there, we’re a quarter of the way to the car,” Parker said, slightly out of breath. 

“I’m trying.” Sophie tightened her grip on Parker’s arm as she tripped over a tree root. 

“Ow!”

“Oops. The path is just a few more meters to the right.”

“Why would we even get off the path in the first place?”

“To get to the top of the cliff to jump. It’s not exactly legal here.”

“Right.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m completely fine Parker.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“That was sarcasm!” Parker opened her mouth to respond, then snapped it closed quickly, at the same time slapping a hand over Sophie’s mouth.

“Mmph…!” 

“Shhh, someone is coming. It’s a park ranger. Quick, ditch the BASE jumping clothes,” Parker said, using the same quiet voice she used when talking on coms. Sophie was only able to hear it because her face was much closer to Parker’s than she’d ever thought it’d be. The vrrroom of a four-wheel vehicle rumbled steadily in their ears.

“Put me down gently.” 

They both crouched behind a tall bush. Well, Parker did as she quickly removed her own suit, Sophie sat limply on the ground and painstakingly began to pull hers off.

“Can I help you with the feet?” Parker asked. Sophie sighed.

“You kind of have too.” 

“You’re much more open to people helping you when you get hurt than Eliot,” observed Parker.

“I don’t believe that I have to give the appearance of invulnerability to physical injuries all the time.” 

“Huh,” said Parker. Sophie risked a glance at the park ranger in the distance, slowly making his rounds in a land buggy. An idea began to form in her head. She took stock of their appearance. They were both wearing sweaty t-shirts, Parker wore tight-fitting leggings with a rip in one knee and her hair was mussed up from jumping off a cliff. For her part, Sophie had on loose pants, could lose the t-shirt in favor of the lower-cut tank top underneath, was sure her make-up looked a fright and was genuinely injured. This could work. It would work. 

“I can get us a ride on that thing all the way to the car, but it would require ditching the BASE jumping gear.”

“I have more at home,” said Parker sadly, briefly stroking the seam of the wingsuit before her face hardened into steely resolve. “What’s the con?” Parker asked as she concealed the gear in their backpacks and placed them under some rocks and dirt. Once they were gone from the area, it didn’t matter if it was found.

“Marilyn ploy and Injured Bird at once. Follow my lead.”

“I thought it was the Monroe play,” said Parker.

'“That’s her last name! Look- we have no time to agree upon a name, the park ranger is nearly here.”

“Isn’t the point moot though? There’s two of us," asked Parker. Sophie could practically hear the wheels turning in Parker's head as she thought of a much more applicable name for the con.

“Let’s go,” said Sophie, they really didn't have time for that. Parker helped her up and Sophie whimpered involuntarily as her foot touched the ground. 

“It’s getting worse,” Parker observed. 

“I’ve done grifts in much poorer condition, at least this time it’ll come in handy.”  
They hobbled onto the path. Sophie began to flag the man down. 

“Help me, oh help us,” she called as soon as he came into earshot. Sophie put herself into the head-space of a foolish hiker. 

“What- seems to be the matter ladies?” The man stopped his land buggy and got out curiously, Sophie knew it was rather early for hikers to be this far into the park, her own fault for insisting on seeing the sunrise from the top of the cliff if she had to BASE jump with Parker. As a result, it was doubly important that she got control of the mark quickly. 

“My friend and I got lost, and I tripped and hurt my ankle, and it was scary and confusing and I just want to get back to our car!”

“Why are you ladies in the woods this early? with no gear”

“I just wanted to see the sun filter through the trees! And we have a pass- see?” Sophie pulled out the expired day pass she kept with her, as it was always good to have some physical object to cement the con, and waved it briefly in his face. “But I think I heard wolves, we didn’t even have proper gear!” Sophie wailed, fueling her pain into hysteria.

“There, there,” Parker said, patting her shoulder gently, “the wolves didn’t eat us.” As Sophie made sure her body showed all the subconscious signals of genuine distress, she made herself lose her balance, which made it all the more convenient to lean forward.  


When the man quickly gave her a proper once-over, she knew she had him.

“Will you help us? Give us a ride?”

“My job description doesn’t exactly involve giving rides to visitors, but since you’re so injured, I can make an exception.” 

“You’re my hero!” The man melted. Poor sod, Sophie thought, must not interact with people all the much considering his job involved patrolling this national park for squirrels or something.  


They got into the buggy.

“Thank you, Devon,” said Parker as she helped Sophie into the buggy.

“Nice touch with the name,” Sophie whispered as they settled into the back next to sacks of some sort of grain.

“You did tell me that using people’s names made them connect with you more, I think.”

“I did. Name tags aren't just there to look pretty after all.”

“Right.” Devon was glancing back at them as if he wanted to question them further. Sophie rested her head on Parker’s shoulders and pretended to fall into an exhausted sleep, Parker’s glare would keep him silent. It wasn’t long, however, before she felt herself genuinely passing out of consciousness. 

“Wake up, we’re here!” Parker said, jostling her a little bit as Sophie blearily blinked awake. How unlike her- falling asleep while the mark was still in play. 

“Thank you so much for your help, I can take her from here,” Parker was saying. Sophie gathered her wits and gave her best pained, yet innocent smile. 

“Are you sure? She’s pretty hurt,” said Devon. Suspicions warring with concern mixed with a dose of confusion, never a good situation. 

“The car is just a little bit away, I’m sure such a heroic ranger like you will need to get back to work,” Sophie said.

“Actually-”

“Bye!” said Parker, she opened the door and practically pulled Sophie out of it. 

“Damn! Ow!” Her ankle had swollen even more, Sophie knew she needed to get first aid for it as soon as possible if she wanted to avoid one of those awkward trips to the emergency room. As fast as she could hobble, Parker supported her as they made their way slowly down the path towards the parking lot where Sophie had parked the car. Eventually, they heard the motor of the land buggy start-up and recede into the distance. 

“I’m never making small talk with a park ranger again,” Parker stated flatly, "when he stopped asking questions about us, he started talking about the animals native to this area!"

“Thank you, Parker, for helping me and for braving small talk with a park ranger,” said Sophie with a slight laugh in her voice. Parker looked at her oddly. 

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re part of my team. You’re- my- friend.”  


Sophie smiled despite the intense pain. Even after all these years and even with her spectacular people skills, it was hard to get a peg on what Parker thought of her. To hear her calling her a friend? It almost made the BASE jumping and twisted ankle worth it.

Almost.

She still had to survive a drive with Parker behind the wheel.


End file.
